The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1887-11-25

spent . uicak WINTER lily housed pool
~ clothed and fed Half 81 them die
from scurvy and other diseases and 4
times there were only = doxea VII
were well enough to wait upon the sick
According 10 the diary Of Governo
Bradford. ''they fetched them wood
made them fires. dressed their meat
made their bcd& washed their loath
some clothes. dressed and undresse'
them two Of the most vigilant nurse
being Elder Brewster and Captain
Miles Standish- After weathering thi
winter. they hopefully welcomed th
spring and put in such crops a th
soil and their opportunities woul,
permit. In tho autumn came the
first harvest and with hearts chastene,
BY past miseries. yet undismayed ans
full Of gratitude. they celebrated th'
first American Thanksgiving Day. i
is not probable that the weli-c'ad
wen-fed vorshippcrs who kneel do-da,
In costly churches fecl 1.-THE Of ths
overwhelming gratcfulness which
pervadcd that small. feeble colony,
offering up thanks for danger.
passed. and present mercies. 1t wa,
Governor Bradford who gave to thi.
day its significance Of good cheer fol
the cd record relates that he sent
four men out fowling s'that they
might after mere specia, manner re-
joice together" In looking over the
portraits Of those dignified and be-
friilcd gentlemen who gave their
character 10 the first colonies. they do
not impress one rs being indifferent TO
gastroncmic pleasures. The Endi.
colts and Winthrcps and even old Cot
ton Mather himself. while their faces
indicate Plainly their austcrc morality.
have weli-kept and wcll-fcd appear
ance and most Of them anatomics Of
great rotundIiy suggestive Of living
u good capons-"
Good cheer has come to be the lead
Ing feature o. Thanksgiving. with
many persons ec,ipsing its religious
significance. In each section OF the
country the leading luxuries are in de-
mand for this day and this combined
with the family reunions which univer-
sally occur on that day. make il q sea-
son Of delight Savory odors are upon
the air for days beforehand and the
humble pantry becomes laboratory
whence shall issue on Thanksgiving
the most wonderful compounds and
elixirs. The first turkey Of the season
usually yields up his life on this oc-
casion; cranberries gieam redly through
the cut glass. and the green and come
~ celery rears il appetizing head
high above the more lowiv yiands-
soon. alas. 70 be brought low on a
level with the least Of them. Around
the mahogany decked with whitcst
linen and shining with the best dishes
sit the hungry. happy throng repre-
senting the seven ages d man. pos
sibly TO the exclusion Of the s.meroling
and luking babe whose Thanksgiving
cooling comes contentedly from an adj
joining room The youngsters wriggie
through the long grace
and most provoking slowness assails
the carving-knifc which in the hands
u the patriarch at the head 81 tho
table Is soon making inroads into the |
brown and odorous fowl Then per-
haps 1t the end Of the feast there IS \ |
plum pudding. brave with goodies and |
blazing gloriousIy As 1t Is borne in b. |
the exultant cook Or II not pud- |
ding. there are wondrous mince pies
filed with the wealth Of the storehouse |
and Of = nature to make one dream Of |
his remotcss ancestors.
There are fruits and preserves. jellies
and creams. making the Thanksgiving
table an exponent Of the fruits u the
EARTH But il is in Yankeedom that
this feast receives lis browning touch. /
No one denies the Yankee housewife. |
her pre-eminence in the art Of cookery.
With her herbs. her spices. her essences
md flavors. with her precious recipes
handed down from . grandmother
for faculty." this queen
q the kitchen prepares feast. myster-
Gus and delicious. Conspicuous among
Is dainties Is the plcbian pumpkin.
Who has not heard Of the New England
pie? A combination Of de-
icious tastes and odors which no man
an analyze and very few women save
hose who know the arcana Of the
'itchen. The pumpkin pie. or ''pun-
In. as il Is so much easier TO say
> harvest poem in itself
It, deep golden circlet surrounded
y . setting delicate and faky. the
roma floating upward from its APP
'etizing bosom. Il ID concentration
nd condensation Of all tho Joys OK
arvest-time- Indeed 80 potent has
cen Its effect upon man that even
oets have not disdaincd to invoke the
muse in its behalf The Hoosier Bard.
ames Whitcomb Riley. has written
ne Of bis most elegant poems, inspired
y the charm Of that season in which ..
he pumpkin plays such conspicuous
art. IL
When the frost b on the pumpkin and the
folders IN the shock. Ia
And you hear the kyouck and eobbie Of the
slruttin' turxey-coch, IL
"a the clackin Of the suineys and the cluckin !
ofthe hens. IL
49, ----4--- 1 !